Nicolaus august otto



(No Model.)

7 NLA'. OTTO. METHOD or AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE or GOMBUSTIBLB' V GAS.

No. 252,503. Patented Jan. 17,1882.

N PETERS. Phowumn n hor. Waihi n nnnnnn c4 UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

NIOOLAUS uGUsr orro, or MULHEIM'ON-THE-RHINE, GERMANY.

METHODiOI-i AND APPARATUS FOR nit MANUFACTURE OF COMBUSTIBLE GA s.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 252,503, dated January 17, 1882.

Application filed May 24, 1881. (No model.) Patented in :England May 4, 1881, in France May 10, 1881, in Belgium. May 17, 18Sl,.in

Italy May 31, 1881, and in Spain August 5, 1881. v v

- To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that I, NICOLAUS Anens'r Orro, a citizen of Prussia, residing at Miilheim-onthe-Rhine, in the German Empire, haveinvented an Improved Method'of and Apparatus for the Manufacture of Combustible Gas, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the production of combustible gases rich in comhustiblematter in gas-producers operating on the continuous system.

In the manufacture of combustible gas in gas-producers twoprocesses take place: First, the combustion of the coal or carbonaceous matter with the incoming air at or near the grate results in the production of carbonic-acid gas, together with nitrogen, under development of heat; and, secondly, the carbonic-acid gas, in passing through the upper layer of incandescent fuel, takes up a further quantity of carbon and becomes converted into carbonic oxide. On the completion of these processes a small excess of heat remains in the producer, by

means of which steam can be decomposed by the aid of the fuel into pure carbonic oxide and hydrogen.

According to my prescntinvention I produce a gas thatis richer'in combustible matter than the aforesaid ordinary producer-gas by the following process: Instead-of allowing the whole of the carbonic-acid gas produced in the first instance to be converted into carbonic oxide, I cause a portion thereof, togetherwith the accompanying nitrogen, to pass away out of the producer. Although by this means a portion.

of the heat produced by the generationof and retained by the said gases is withdrawn from the'producer, yet a very'considerable portion of such heat still remains, by means of which I am enabled to decompose either undiluted carbonic-acid gas or'steam or carbureted hydrogen to take the place of the carbonic-acid gas diluted with nitrogen that has been withdrawn. In the following 1 shall only refer to the use of steam. The more gaseous products of coinbustion are removed from the producer the less of such products will remain in the same for furnishing producer-gas, and in the same proportion, therefore, a larger quantity of steam can be decomposed into pure carbonic oxide and hydrogen, and consequently a richer combustible gas be produced. On the other hand the heat contained in the gaseous products of combustion that are withdrawn can be utilized either for the production and superheating of the steam to be employed, as abovedescribed,

orfor any other purpose.

The above-described method of operating may be conveniently carried out by means of A the construction of gas-producer shown onthe accompanying drawings, in which Figurel' with the interiorof the producer, and by which a portion of the carbonic acid and nitrogen is withdrawn from the producer, the said passages I) being for this purpose situated near to the fire-grate c, where no carbonic-oxide gas has as yet been formed. The gases that are thus withdrawn escape through the pipe 61 after having given up a portion of their heat in the chamber a to the pipes e and], the pro-..

portion of gases withdrawn being regulated by the cock g. Steam being thus formed or superheated in the pipes e andf, that from c is employed as a steam-jet below the grate for propelling the necessary air into the producer through the opening (5. ducer to be charged withfuel in the usual manner through a hopper, l, with shut-olf valve m, and ignited, the air introduced at ii will by the combustion above the grate c be decomposed, forming carbonic acid and nitrogen, of which a portion will be led away through the passages b, while the remainder will be converted into producer-gas on rising through the heated fuel above. At the same time the steam produced in the pipef is led by a pipe, h, at one or more points, into the producer, where it is converted by the incandescent fuel. into carbonic oxide and hydrogen, which combine with.

the other producer-gases and pass away with them through the pipek to wherever required for use.

For producing a regulated supply of steam Assuming the prov to the pipes f, Water may be made to flow in regulated quantity from a vessel, 1, into the funnel-mouth of a pipe, 0, through which it flows into the lowest coil of the pipe f, to be there converted into steam.

The steam for the steam-jet a may be supplied from a separate generator through a pipe, p.

I am aware that a patent is being applied for by E. Langen for withdrawing combustible carbonic-oxide gas at some height above the fire-grate in gas-producers, in order by its combustion outside the producer to generate heat for decomposing steam, and I do not claim such a method of operating.

I am also aware that in the manufacture of gas for illuminating and heating purposes the gasproducing material has been caused to traverse slowly through a generator, where it is subjected to acontinuous or'increasing high temperature and distilled to difi'erent degrees, after which the different grades of gas are independently drawn off at different points in the Vention and in what mauner'the same is to be performed, I claim- 1. The within-described method of producing combustible gases in gas producers, the same consisting in developing carbonic-acid gas and nitrogen by the combustion of carbonaceous fuel, then drawing oft a part only of the carbonic acid and nitrogen at a point directly above the grate of the producer and below the main body of fuel, then converting the remaining portion of carbonic-acid gas and nitrogen into producer-gas, and finally introducing steam directly into the body of the incandescent fuel at a point above the grate of the producer, for converting the steam into oar:

pipe d, cock g, and steam-pipes f, e, and h, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification,in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 3d day of May, A. D.

NIOOLAUS AUGUST OTTO, Witnesses HERMANN SCHULL, WILHELM HEILMANN. 

